Nintendo of America Posts First Wii U Commercial to YouTube

The next generation console wars will officially begin on November 18, 2012, which is when Nintendo's upcoming Wii U console will be available to purchase. Leading up the launch, Nintendo of America has begun its marketing blitz with its first Wii U commercial, a one-minute ad-spot that appears on YouTube and Facebook ahead of its TV debut.

Nintendo's ad presents the Wii U as a family-friendly console, much like the original Wii, with shots of gamers of all ages enjoying the console in some way, shape, or form. The theme of the ad is "How U Will Play Next," and as such, much of the ad is dedicated to showing off gameplay mechanics using the touchscreen-equipped Wii U GamePad.

While this is Nintendo of America's first Wii U ad, it's actually the console's second ad-spot altogether, the first of which appeared last month in the U.K. (see embedded video below).

Two versions of the Wii U are available to pre-order on Nintendo's website. The first is the "Basic Set" ($299.99), a white console with 8GB of internal storage, Wii U GamePad, Wi U GamePad Stylus, Sensor bar, AC adapters for the both the console and controller, and HDMI cable.

The second version is the "Deluxe Set" ($349.99), a black console with 32GB of internal storage and all the same accessories, plus a Wii U GamePad Stand, Wii U GamePad Cradle (with charging capabilities), and Wii U Console Stand.